The
Thai government is aiming to develop Thailand into the status of a
"World-Class Health Provider" by 2014, with total projected earnings
of US$11.5 billion over the five-year period of 2010-14.
The new strategic plan will be a substantial
upgrade over the successful project to establish Thailand as "Spa Capital
of Asia" which was achieved in 2008. It will involve a holistic collection
of curative medical treatments, preventive spa and wellness services, and sales
of herbal products and other supplies for the global health and wellness
industry.
Broken down further, the earnings projection
is for medical treatments to generate US$8 billion over the 2010-14 period, spa
and wellness services US$2.23 billion, and sales of products and supplies
US$1.3 billion.
According to Mr Apichai Jearadisak, Advisor,
Federation of the Thai Spa Association, Thailand already leads the regional spa
market.
"With more than 1,200 registered spas,
400 of which are high-end luxury facilities, and all of them together employing
some 25,000 professionally trained therapists, Thailand undoubtedly has a claim
to call itself the 'Spa Capital of Asia'."
He said there were many factors that make a
Thai spa experience unique; such as, service-minded spa personnel, traditional
Thai massages, spa therapies and recipes, high operational standards, and a
broad range of multi-cultural spa concepts.
He noted that people came to spas to relieve
stress, enhance their personal appearance and well-being, and reduce pain. Much
business is also being generated in the form of a spa experience being offered
as a 'gift' for birthdays and other personal celebrations.
Mr Apichai said that the Thai spas were
working to upgrade the standards of their services and products, as well as the
hygienic standards in the spas themselves. Efforts were also being made to
improve the quality of their communications and marketing.
On the medical side, Dr Med. Prapa Wongphaet,
President of the Thailand Medical Tourism Cluster said, "Thailand has more
than 30 international accredited hospitals in Bangkok and various tourist
destinations; such as, Pattaya, Phuket, Samui, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai
and more".
She said two leading Bangkok hospitals are
already well-known for their ability to service medical tourists from the
Middle East countries.
Dr Prapa, who also chairs the Health Services
Business Committee of the Board of Trade said, "Thailand could offer a
complete combination of advanced medical treatments and other health related
services, plus a good vacation".
The most popular are health vacations,
anti-aging vacations, beauty vacations, spa vacations and more mind-body
wellness vacations. The most favourite adjacent services are dental treatments
and dental cosmetics, medical check ups, aesthetic skin treatments, body shape
up treatment, weight management programmes and life-style modification
programmes.
Dr Prapa said that more than 200 private and
public hospitals have received the "Hospital Accreditation
Certificate" issued by the Healthcare Accreditation Institute (public
organisation). "Today, it seems that Thailand has the most JCI accredited
hospitals in Asia," she said.
She said that since 2010, the "Thailand
Medical Tourism Cluster" concept has involved the collaboration of five
government agencies and five leading business associations to support all
aspects of medical and health and wellness tourism to Thailand.
Ozgur Tore
ftnnews.com
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